Yesterday I got back from my 5th tour of Russia. After earning a bit of cash there, I decided to stop in Bulgaria to visit the mother of all Soviet ruins, the almost legendary Buzludzha. The 2 way 8 hour road trip cost me about 250 Euros from Burgas.

Buzludzha is a colossal, former Soviet congress hall for the Communist Party of Bulgaria. It rests on top of an even more colossal mountain. The path to the top is battered and the climb is torture. Thin air, thick fog and strong winds could make it a pretty perilous place if you don't keep your wits about you.

It's a truly astounding building that should be seen while it lasts. The place is in a really bad way. Poor lighting makes exploring and photography very difficult.

The peak of Buzludzha from the bottom

A monument at the foot of the mountain

About half way up the mountain. The enormous tower to the left of the building contains 2 red stars, made from stained glass. They aren't visible in the fog.

The fog gets horribly thick near the top

Buzludzha from the outside

The thick fog makes photography difficult.

Dozens of mosaics can be found around the building

I tried to find a way into the adjacent tower with the red stars. After climbing 13 levels, I found them

East star

West star, looking down

Even more mosaics here!

2 French explorers died here last October

Back in the main hall

That's all for now, a freakin' awesome day with lots of great memories. Cheers for looking.